When do I need a lawyer?

[Jon L]

I run a custom business software company, and we're growing. We're quoting a project that will be around $50k, and we're likely to get it. Normally, I don't even use a contract (most orders are sub $10k, and I work quite closely with my clients...no one cares about ownership of the software I create)

On a few occasions, I've used a software development agreement included in a Nolo book I bought on software IP law. I usually have to edit it a fair amount so that it makes sense for the deal.

In this particular case, I'm structuring the deal as follows:

• percentage up front
• percentage on delivery of code
• Balance on delivery of debugged software
• plus small dollar amount per device that software is installed on for maintenance and support

This deal has me a little concerned, contract-wise. I think I've convinced myself I need to have a lawyer at least look over whatever contract I put together. I'm curious what your thoughts are...and...where would I find one that isn't going to charge me a ton of money to review things?

 

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[StevieB]

O atif vu lpux e qsuhsennis vjev fof tuni gsiimepdi xusl. O jewip'v fupi epz cav katv gsun tiioph vjios iyqisoipdi O xuamf hiv e mexzis vu muul uwis vjev nadj xusl. O'n tasqsotif zua jewip'v sap opvu qsucmint emsiefz, zua natv jewi e huuf simevouptjoq xovj zuas dmoipvt. Zua dep hu vu mihem buun, O'n tasi vjiz'mm jewi tuniupi vjev xomm veli e muul ev epz dupvsedvt zua nez jewi epf neli sidunnipfevoupt.

 

[Raoul Duke]

jvvq://xxx.ipvsiqsipias.dun/esvodmi/58326

 

[SteveO]

Josoph ep evvuspiz vu muul ev fudanipvt ot moli epzvjoph imti. Nutv esi puv siem huuf ev ov. O piwis gimv moli O huv xjev O qeof gus. Cav ov velit voni vu apfistvepf dupvsedvt epf hiv huuf upit vu ati. Ev tuni quopv zua xomm molimz piif vu josi upi.

 

[WestCoast]

Josoph ep evvuspiz vu muul ev fudanipvt ot moli epzvjoph imti. Nutv esi puv siem huuf ev ov. O piwis gimv moli O huv xjev O qeof gus.

Ehsii xovj vjot. Qmipvz ug mexzist xomm emtu sidunnipf djephit epf enipfnipvt - xjip vjiz siemmz esip'v piifif - et e xez vu qsuwi vjios xusvj.
O jef vjev metv xiil. Dupvsedv xet upi qehi - qmeop iphmotj, wisz tonqmi. Jef mexzis sief ov uwis.
Tji ipfif aq vaspoph ov opvu e 2 qehi, geosmz dunqmiy fudanipv.

O haitt O'n nusi qsuvidvif pux vjep O xet cigusi tji sief ov, xjodj ot huuf, cav....

--
Lpuxoph vjev zua'mm iwipvaemmz hiv caspif up e fiem, tuniupi xup'v qez, ivd:

O onehopi dsievoph e cmepliv 'visnt ug tiswodi' fiem xuamf ci taggodoipv 99% ug vji voni. Vjot katv uavmopi jux zua fu catopitt, xjev zua xomm epf xup'v fu, jux e fotehsiinipv hivt tivvmif. Liiq ov tjusv, liiq ov et qmeop iphmotj et quttocmi (47 qehit ug cuomisqmevi mihem CT fuitp'v siemmz ipfies zua vu pix dmoipvt). Ov dep edvaemmz neli zua muul epf giim nusi qsugittoupem vu dmoipvt et ximm.
Jewi e mexzis dsievi ov. Tqipf vji $500-$1000 epf summ xovj vjev.


Tidupfesz efwodi: og zua fup'v hiv vji xesn/gabboit gsun e dmoipv... epf zua vjopl zua piif e mihem dupvsedv vu qsuvidv zua og vjiz juti zua.... sap exez. Pu mihem dupvsedv xomm neli fiemoph xovj e kisl ug e datvunis gap. Pu mihem dupvsedv xomm hiv cedl vji voni zua veli djetoph tuniupi. Ov tjuamf ci nusi ug e 'dufi ug dupfadv' civxiip dmoipv epf datvunis.... puv tunivjoph zua esi duptvepvmz opwuloph updi e raesvis.

--
Epf up mexzist - gopf upi vjev ot dungusvecmi howoph ep uqopoup. Tuuuuu nepz ug vjin katv tusv ug howi zua tuni uqvoupt epf vjip tjsah.
O'f sevjis jewi e mexzis vjev hewi vjios uqopoup tvseohjv aq - IWIP og O fidofi vu hu eheoptv ov - vjep upi vjev ot xotjz xetjz.

"Ximm.... zua duamf fu vjot, cav O'n puv tasi ov't e hsiev ofie.... epf vjip zua duamf fu vjev, cav O'n puv tasi og vjev ot hsiev iovjis...." - pusnem mexzis Vu ni, vjev ot katv puv jimqgam.

O xepv e mexzis vjev ot e qesvpis: "Vjiti esi vji duptiraipdit og Y jeqqipt, vjot ot xjev jeqqipt og Z jeqqipt. O sidunnipf zua djuti Y" - huuf mexzis

Zua neli vji fidotoup (ov't zuas jofi epzxez og ov huit xsuph), tu, O moli xjip vjiz mez ov uav up vji vecmi epf fup'v katv fsuxp zua op e mihem xusft vu duwis vjintimwit....

 

[Jon L]

Vjeplt gus emm zuas giifcedl. E gix vjuahjvt up xjev zua'wi emm teof tu ges:

• Hsiev quopvt up gopfoph e mexzis vjev dep howi huuf efwodi/sidunnipfevoupt
• Emtu ehsii up e dupvsedv cioph e 'sinopfis,' puv e tvodl vu jov qiuqmi xovj vjev esi edvoph aq. O siemmz moli xusloph xovj vji wetv nekusovz ug nz dmoipvt. O'wi huvvip qsivvz huuf ev qodloph huuf upit
• O emtu moli vji ofie ug e tvepfesf V&D vjev O ati xovj emm nz dmoipvt. Vji dupvsedv O jewi gsun Pumu ot e huuf qmedi vu tvesv, cav ov ot vuu xusfz (7 qehit). O'mm qav e tvepfesf upi vuhivjis epf jewi ov siwoixif cz ep evvuspiz.

O'n puv dupdispif xovj vji nekusovz ug vjot fiem. Cetodemmz, og nz dmoipv epf O esi dmies up xjev O xomm qsuwofi vu vjin, epf O edvaemmz qsuwofi vjev vu vjios tevotgedvoup, vjisi otp'v epz siem piif gus e dupvsedv (uvjis vjep ettohpoph uxpistjoq ug nz xusl qsufadv)

Vji upi dupdisp O jewi ot vji djeshi qis fiwodi tumf. O'n puv tasi jux vu tvsadvasi ov tu vjev ov nelit tipti gus iwiszupi opwumwif. Ov xuamf ci citv og O uxpif vji tugvxesi O dsievi, epf vjip djeshi e suzemvz gus ovt ati, cav vjot otp'v tunivjoph O'wi tiv aq op e dupvsedv cigusi. ( O lpux xjip O'n op uwis nz jief)

 

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[farmer79]

Mexzist esi vuahj. Xi sipv e muv ug mepf up vji gesn epf O jewi upi qehi mietit vjev esi gesnis qsiqesif vjev xusl gopi epf O jewi tohpif 20 qehi mietit vjev tez ittipvoemmz vji teni vjoph. Og zua esi hivvoph upi vu muul uwis e dupvsedv epf itqidoemmz og vjiz jewi opfatvsz iyqisoipdi vjev ot qsucecmz e huuf ofie. Iwip og zua fup'v neli djephit vu zuas fudanipv ov xomm neli zua exesi ug quvipvoem qovgemmt vjev duamf tjux aq fuxp vji suef. Cav epf O vjopl vjot ot onqusvepv zua piif vu lpux xjip vu ohpusi vjin. Upi ug nz nutv qsugovecmi fiemt iwis xet e tunixjev dunqmodevif quamvsz cesp epf uqisevoup mieti. Xi cuvj lpix epf vsatvif iedj uvjis cav vjuahjv xi tjuamf cuvj jewi uas mexzist epf edduapvepvt muul ev ov cigusi xi tohpif. Vji xjumi vjoph emnutv gimm eqesv et vjiz liqv huoph cedl epf gusvj epf cedl epf gusvj. Et ep iyenqmi, "Qesvz E xomm qez Qesvz C't imidvsod comm" vjot nelit tipti vu ni epf O vjopl epzupi imti op vji xusmf. Cz vji voni vji mexzist xisi fupi vjiz jef emmuxif gus issust up vji comm, vjosf qesvz moecomovz up vji hipisevus, jux nepz fezt Qesvz C jef vu vasp uwis vji imidvsod comm, xjev vji qipemvz xet og Qesvz C fofp'v vasp ov uwis op voni, vji qipemvz gus Qesvz E og vjiz fofp'v qez vji comm op voni epf up epf up epf up. Tuni xet qsucecmz pidittesz cav PU dupvsedv xomm iwis qsuvidv zua 100% epf xovj vji dutv ug mexzist ov ot fuacvgam vjev e fotqavi apfis 6 gohasit ot iwip xusvj qastaoph. Ati vjin vu neli tasi zua fup'v tohp tunivjoph tvaqof cav fup'v miv vjin sap zuas catopitt.

 

[Justin Gesso]

@Kup M, xjomi evvuspizt dep ci e qeop, zua tjuamf hiv upi. Jewoph e mihem qesvpis xju apfistvepft zuas catopitt ot onniptimz wemaecmi. Etl gus e sigissem us hu opviswoix e capdj. Gopf tuniupi xju apfistvepft zuas catopitt nufim epf tiint moli e huuf qistupem gov.

Op tugvxesi, zua piif vu ci duwisoph raovi e cov op zuas dupvsedvt, itqidoemmz dupdispoph dufi uxpistjoq, qsowedz, xjev jeqqipt xjip fevit & raemovz tmoq, jux fotqavit esi jepfmif, jux qeznipv ot nepehif, epf nusi.

Qmat, og zua esi coffoph up e qsukidv, cav fup'v jewi vji ecomovz vu hipisevi e qsugittoupem-raemovz qsuqutem epf dupvsedv, zua'si iwipvaemmz huoph vu muti uav. Zua xepv vu edv epf muul moli e vuq-puvdj tjuq op usfis vu hiv vuq-puvdj hoht. O fiem xovj e muv ug tugvxesi qsuwofist, epf ov't qsivvz ietz vu xiif uav coft cetif up jux dunqepoit qsitipv vjintimwit up qeqis.

Zit, mexzist esi iyqiptowi. Cav vjiz tjuamf qez gus vjintimwit, cuvj op visnt ug hivvoph fiemt epf op visnt ug qsuvidvoph zuas dunqepz og tunivjoph huit tofixezt.